Bumper turnout for Burghley House Game and Country Fair
Fine weather boosted the turnout of this year’s Living Heritage Game and Country Fair at Burghley House.
Some 14,000 enjoyed the popular event on Sunday and Monday, which featured country sports and pursuits at their best.
Organiser Mark Hulme said: “It was quite a good year. We had two lovely days. Sadly Burghley has a history of one good day and one bad day weatherwise. “
This year’s event featured an extended food section to make the event more of a food festival. Chefs gave cooking displays and there was live jazz music.
Mark continued: “That seemed to go down well with the public. They were able to sit down with the picnic tables and with the jazz, it all made for a very nice setting.”
The fair also featured new attractions, with a Tudor pageant and falconry displays proving extremely popular.
“There was people on horseback with the falcons showing how it was in the Middle Ages.”
Simon Whitehead, who is a noted rabbit controller, author and sporting journalist, gave an enjoyable display featuring ferrets and how they catch rabbits.
Mark continued: “Simon has a fine background in using rabbit as a food source.”
Other events at the fair featured horseboarding where a horse pulls someone on a skateboard, gun dog demonstrations, angling displays and performances from shire horses.
Ponies also took part in scurry trials and driving, there were also displays featuring Jaguar racing cars, and a favourite event for dogs called ‘chase the bunny.’
Historical re-enactments included the Yellow Ribbon, who covers the US period 1874-78, and portray the life of the Seventh Cavalry under General Custoer and the life of cowboys.
Family events also included puppets, hamsters, donkey rides, alpacas, a funhouse, plus Fiery Jack and His Circus Workshop.
Mark added: “We had a good exit poll for visitors to give their comments. They said they enjoyed themseleves. The fair present a really good family day out. There was so much for people to do.”
